Automobile signaling apparatus



Aug. 5, 1930. f A. wl-:ls 1,772,375

AUTOMOBILE SIGNALING APPARATUS mea may zo. 1929, .s met-sheet 1 "Mmmm, la.,

A Aug. 51930. A. L. wf-:lsl

AUTOMOBILE SIGNALING APPARATUS Filed May 20. 1929 l 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Aug. s, 192.0. A. L. was 1,712,375

AUTOMOBILE SIGNALING APPARATUS Filed May 20, 1929' 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Aug. 5, 1930.

A. L. WEIS AUTOMOBILE SIGNALING APPARATUS Filed May 20, 1929 Patented Aug. 5, 1930 'rats ANDREW WEIS, FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA I AUTOMOBILE SIGNALING AFPARATUS Application ineaA May `ao,

rIhis invention relates to signalingmeans for vmotor vehicles, and more particularly to devices of this kind for indicating to the drivers of vehicles in the rear that the driver `5 of the vehicle ahead is going to turn to the right or the left, or is preparing to stop.

Generally sta-ted, the object of the invention is to provide a novel andimproved construction whereby a motor vehicle signaling apparatus of this kind is easily attached to the frontcorner ofthe body ofthe car, preferably at the left-hand side thereof, or on the side adjacentthe steering wheel, within convenient reach of the driver, whereby the latter may easily operate any one of a plurality of signals, thereby to indicate the intention of the driver to the drivers of vehicles in the rear, there being-a separate controller for each signal, with each controller indicating over which signal ithas control.

It is also an objectto provide, certai-n de-y tails and features of construction andcoinbinations tending to increase the general siiiciency and desirability of a motor vehicle signaling apparatus of this particular character. y

To these and other useful ends, the'invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying 39 'drawings in whichi Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the Windshield and adjacent struct-ure of a motor vehicle, showing the same equippednwith a signaling apparatus'embodying the principles of' the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevationof said apparatus, on a larger scale, showing certain portions thereof in section;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2, Vwith the lower portion thereof shown broken away for convenience of illustration; v

Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 5--5 inFig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 6-6 in Fig. 2; i

Fig. 7 is a detail view, on a different scale, of a portion of thev apparatus; I

Fig. 8 is a view; similar to Fior. 2, on-a` the apparatus 1929. serial No. 364,352.

smallerscale, showing a different form of the invention' Y F ig.,9 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 8; f u

Fig.,10 is afragmentary detail view, 011,55 about the same scale as Fig. 2, showing a different form of the invention;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary ydetail View showing a diliferent form of the invention;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged horizontal'section on 60 line 12--12 in Fig. 11;

F `g. `13 is a View similar to Fig. 2, on substantially` the same scale, with certainportions broken away for convenience of illustration,showing a different form of the in 65 vention; v

Fig. 14 is a sideelevation or edge View of one of the signals shown'in F ig; 13;

Fig. 15 is la horizontal section on line 15-15 in Fig. 13, on a larger scale; i 70 Fig. 16 isa horizontal section through one of the signals on line 16-16 in Fig. 13,'on a larger scale.

Fig. 17 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a different form of the invention;

Fig. 18 is a Vertical section on line 18e-18 in Fig. 17;

Fig. 19 is a detail horizontal section on -line19--19 in Fig. 17;

Fig. 20 is an enlarged horizontal detail 80 section online 20-20 in Fig. 17;

Fig. 21 is an enlarged side elevation of the semaphore or` movable signal member shown in'Fig. 17; f

v Fig. 22 is a View of `the right-hand 85 upper edge portion of the structure shown in Fig. 21; y

Fig. 23 is a detailhorizontal section on line Fig.V 24 is an enlarged detail section on line 90 24:-24' in Fig. 21; 1

Fig. 25 is an enlarged detail section on line 25e-25 in Fig. 21.

As thus illustrated, and1 referring to Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, the invention .comprises a 95 metal tube 1 bent as shown inFig.` 2 of the drawingsand screw-coupled at its upper end to the bracket 2, secured by screws3 tothe inner side of the sheet metal corner post t of the motor vehicle.v A horizontal tube 5 cou- 10o pivoted semaphores or signals 9, 10 and 11,

which have a common pivot 12 near their upper ends, and which are controlled by the spring 13, which is common to said signals, and which has one end portion secured at 14 to the housing, while its transverse upper end portion 15 extends across the upper edges of the signals. In this way, the spring 13l tends normally to keep the signals inpvertical position, as shown in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings. Cords 16, or other iiexible connections, connect the three signals, from their upper ends, with the three handles or buttons 17, 18 and 19, as shown, these handles or buttons being slidable up and down on the tube 1 in slots 2O formed in the tube, each handle or but-ton having a flat middle piece 21 slidable in one of said slots. y

The signals 9, 10, and 11 are provided with suitable indications, one indicating that the driver intends to turn to the right, as shown in Fig. 4, and another indicating that thedriver intends to turn to the left, as shown in Fig. 2, and another indicating that the driver intends to stop, as shown in Fig. 1. These markings or indications can be on both the front and rear sides of the said semaphores or signals. Therefore, the three signals are selectively operable by means of the handles or buttons 17, 18 and 19, in a manner that will be readily understood, these handles having markings corresponding to their allotted signals.

To illuminate the signals, as at night, an electric lamp 22 is provided in the upper portion of the housing 7, as shown, in position to illuminate the signals when they are raised into horizontal position.v Normally,

this lamp is not illuminated, but when a f handle 17, 18 or 19 is pulled downward, one

of the signals 9, 10or 11 will be raised, and such action will cause the heel 23 of the raised signal to bear against a spring contact 24 and press this contact against the Vstationary electrical contact 25, thereby closing thecircuit of the lamp. It will be understood that the current supply may bek of'any suitable character, for Vsaid circuit, and it will also be understood that said circuit may include a hand-'switch (not shown) by which this illuminating apparatus can be rendered operative or inoperative.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, the'c'onstructionis substantially the same as previously described, but in this case the housing 26 for the signals is supported upright on brackets 27 land 28, whereby the apparatus may be lattached'to an inclined wind-shield 29, in-

stead of to a vertical corner post of a vertical wind-shield. .Thus, notwithstanding 'does not need the tube 5 shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In Figs. 11 and 12, another form of handle or button construction is shown. In this case, the tube 32, corresponding to the tube 1 in Fig. 2, has only the single slot 33, and the slidable handle or button 34 has the single projection 35 extending into the tube, to which the cord or flexible connection is attached, instead of having the cross-piece 21, to which the cords or iiexible connections 16 in Fig. 2 are attached.

In Figs. 13, 14, 15 and 16, the construction is similar to that shown in Fig. 2, but in this case the semaphores or signals are of a different form. As shown, the signal 36, for example, is a sheet metal affair with longitudinal hollow edge ribs 37 that serve to stien the comparatively light semaphore or signal thus constructed. In this way, each semaphore orsignal can be made very light and, in addition, the head or hinged portion of each signal can be hollow, having a chamber 38, as shown in Fig. 15, and each signal may have an individual spring 39 disposed in such chamberas shown, thereby to return the signals to normal position, instead of having the single or common spring 13, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 of tlie drawings. This 'makes a very light semaphore or signal which can be raised into horizontal posi tion by a comparatively slight downward pull on its allotted handle or button.

Referring to Figs. 17 to 25, inclusive, the construction here is similar to that previously described, but in this case the semaphore or signal 40 is preferably made of some light material, such as Celluloid, yand is provided with a light wire frame 41 having its end portions 42 and 43 anchored in the sheet metal head 44, which latter is preferably hollow, as shown in Figs. 22, 23 and 24, to insure lightness thereof. The spring 45 is coiled about ythe pivot 46 of thesemaphore, and has its upper end disposed in pressure engagement with the shoulder 47 on the head 44, and has its lower end disposed in pressure engagement with the pin 48 on the housing 49 of the semaphore. The electric lamp 50 is arranged as previously described, but in this case has a lens 51, or other light refracting or distributing element, disposed in position to direct the light rays onto both sides of the semaphore, when the latter is in raised position.

Furthermore, in Figs. 17 to 25, inclusive, the tube 52 is swivelly mounted at its upper and lower ends, as by ball and socket joints `53 and 54provided as shown, whereby -this tube 52 can be folded or swunginto convenient position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 19 ofk the drawings. Furthermore, the handles or buttons 55, 56 and 57 are each constructed as shown in Fig. 20, each button being composed of two halves 58 and 59,y

held togetherby rivets 60, these halves being preferably made of some durable non-metallic substance, and there beinga metal insert 61 between them. This metal insert 61 entends through the slot 62 in the tube 52 and `engages one of the cords 63, previously mentioned, whereby thethreesemaphores, each f like the semaphore 40, are lcontrolled by the threeV handles or buttons, in the manner preby means areV provided for yieldingly holding the semaphore in its raised position. By tightening Vthe screws 65, the tube 52 canbe held in any adjusted position, any position which is most convenient for the driver of the motor vehicle. n

Preferably, the semaphores or signals and l the lamp are all mounted on a separate plate or member, such as the member 66 in Fig. 17, or the member 67 in Fig. 10, whereby the movable part assembly thus provided can be easily inserted in the housing, afterward, instead of assembling the working parts directly in the housing in the iirst place. rlhe mounting 66 or 6'?" can be secured to the inner back wall of the housing, in any suitable or desired manner, either permanentlyor detachably, as may be desired. lnevery case, the means for attaching the housing` to the vehicle may be of any suitable known or desired character, depending more or less upon the type of vehicle upon which it is desired to use the invention. p

ln each form of the invention, therefore, here is a plurality of signals, one for each separate purpose, and there are as many handles or controllers forsaid signals, correspondingly marked, within reach of the driver, so that the driver may conveniently reach forward and pull downward on one of the handles or controllers and thereby indicate,

by raising the corresponding signal, an intention to turn to the right or the lett, or to stop. ln this way, it is necessary to thrust -a hand out of the window, to indicate to drivers in the rear the intention of the driver 'of the motor vehicle ahead. Furthermore,

with signaling apparatus or" the lrind shown and described, which is illustrative lof the invention, it is notnecessary to keep a window down at the drivers elbow, in order to signal with the hand, as signals, which are mounted outside, are controllable from the inside when the window is inclosed position, as well as when the window is open. vThe apparatus is easily installed on practically any make of motor vehicle, andfis comparatively inexpensive in `form. During the day, the electric lamp doesnot need to be illuminated, butat night'the hand-switch (not shown) can be closed to render the illuminating apparatus operative, and under such circumstances the lamp will be illuminated each time a signal is pulled into raised position, in the manner.

previously explained. i

While the signaling apparatus is shown attached to the corner post of the windshield, on whicheverk side the steering wheel is lo-` cated, itis obvious that the apparatus may be supported either wholly or in part by any suitable member or portion at the side of-the motor vehicle, or by one ormore members or portions at the slee of the vehicle, withoutdepartiiior from the spirit .of rthe invention.

` L What Iclaim as my invention is:

1. Signaling apparatus for motor vehicles, comprising a housing for attachment to the vehicle, a hollow support and means whereby its upper end is inV communication with the upper portion of saidhousing, means for mountingsaid hollow supportin position on astationary portion of the vehicle and` with- -in reach ofthe driver, with said means of communication covered bythe vehicle, a plurality of pivotedy signals in said housing, prorvided with a common pivot whereby each signal vis supported to swing up and down "about a horizontal yaxis extending parallel with the vehicle, and a plurality of individually operable handles on said support, corresponding to said signals, eachhandle being 1 -inovable back and forth in astraight line,

togethergwith an individual operating p'ull connectionxbetween `each handle and its allotted signal, enclosed in said support and in c said means of communication, each pull conlnection havinga portion extending coincident with said line of movement of its handle, whereby `each handle Iis operative to raise its allotted signal into signaling position, and whereby each pull connection has 4only longitudinal movement at its allotted pulls andrestores its allotted handle to normal position, when the raised signal swings downward to normal position.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, each signal being of light sheet metal construction with stifi'ening ribs along the edges thereof, rendering` each signal comparatively easy to raise into signaling position by a straight pull on its allotted handle.

6. A structure as speciiied in claim 1, said support having a conduit connection or communication at its end with the interior of said housing, and said operating connections extending through said conduit.

7. A structure as specified in claim 1, said support having a conduit connect-ion or communication at its end with the interior of said housing, and said operating connections extending through said conduit, said conduit extending through the corner post of the wind-shield.

8. A structure as specified in claim 1, said.

signals being marked, respectively, Right and Left, and their allotted handles being respectively marked the same way.

9. A structure as specified in claim 1, said signals being marked, respectively, Right, Left and Stop, and said handles being marked respectively in the same way.

10. A structure as speciiied in claim 1, said support being mounted for adjustment to swing laterally into convenient position.

11. A structure as specified in claim 1, said support being mounted for adjustment to swing laterally into convenient position, said support being a tube swivelled at its upper and lower ends to swing about a vertical axis,

ksaid tube containing said operating connection for each handle on its allotted signal.

12. In signaling apparatus for automobiles, the combination of a tube with a vertically disposed portion, said vertically disposed portion being slotted longitudinally thereof, Vpull wires in' said tube, signaling means cont-rolled by said wires, and handles slidable on the slotted portion of said tube, one above another, and connected through the slot to said wires.

13. A structure as speciiied in claim 12, said tube having an overhead horizontally disposed portion terminating at saidysignaling means, and means for supporting the tube in position.

14. A structure as specified in claim 12, the slotted portion of said tube having a separate slot for veach handle, the slots being in alinement.

. 15. A structure as speeiiied in claim 12,

tions bent around the tube to slide thereon, with an integral portion of one section extending through the slot in the tube, and means for fastening the two sections together.

16. A structure as specified in claim 12,

comprising means for supporting the vertically disposed portion oi' said tube on the corner post in front of the driver.

17. In signaling apparatus for automo biles, the combination of a hollow support, means for mounting said support inside the vehicle in front of the drivel', said mounting means having means whereby said support is laterally adjustable to suit the convenience of the driver, handles supported by said sup port and movable up and down, signaling devices normally concealed but visible, when operated, from behind the vehicle, and pull wires connecting said handles with said signaling devices.

Specification signed this 16th day of May,

ANDREW L. WEIS. 

